Midnight Juggernauts are Melbourne indie stalwarts with an international aesthetic and their latest album Uncanny Valley is a welcome sophistication for existing fans but raises the entry barriers for newcomers. This is an album that takes the listener on a journey with track one, HCL, a relaxed soundtrack as you board the metaphorical plane, then following track, the previously released single Ballad Of The War Machine, the song you have your first drink to as you begin to sway rhythmically from side to side.
This idea of an album constructed like a DJ set is nothing new to Midnight Juggernauts with their 2007 debut Dystopia not dropping certified banger Road To Recovery until track seven. On Uncanny Valley the wait isn’t quite as long with the dance floor getting packed by track three. The song with this dance floor sensibility is the album’s second single Memorium and it is one hell of cool groove that makes you want to move. For this track vocalist Vincent Vendetta is singing at his lowest adding a dreamy if not slightly ‘boozy’ aesthetic to the song. Please don’t be misled by my comparison to Road To Recovery, this song is not a banger per se but it is a damn fine five minutes of music. Also, the film clip for Memorium is worth checking out for its educative value in the progression of CGI from the ’50s to the ’80s.
Speaking of the decade that the Midnight Juggernauts members were born in, the cheese of the ’80s synth-pop is a strong influence on this album, particularly the song Sugar Bullets that marries an upbeat rhythm and tropical melody with a dorky falsetto to create a fun song.
Master Of Gold is a major highlight from the album for its contemporary stylistic push and variation. With elements of dream pop artists like Kindness, the song is knitted together by a Sgt Pepper’s era charm. In a similar vein, the following song Systematic further embraces psychedelic pop.
Uncanny Valley is a trip. Although the scenery doesn’t change vastly along the way, when you find yourself in the ethereal outro of closing track Melodiya you’re glad the Midnight Juggernauts have returned to take you on the journey.
BY DAN WATT
Best Track: Memorium
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In A Word: Uncanny
